Vehicle Travel Control Using Occupant Mobile Position Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles without position detection functions pose challenges for accurate automatic driving control, leading to potential interference and sudden maneuvering due to the inability to detect and avoid such vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle traveling control apparatus and method that utilizes mobile terminals carried by occupants to estimate the size, kind, and position of vehicles without position detection systems by correlating position data from multiple terminals, enabling precise control even in the absence of GNSS receivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If position detection functions are installed in all vehicles, then measurement precision of vehicle position is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile terminals (smartphones, tablets) as intermediary devices to detect vehicle position. These terminals serve as mediators between the vehicle and the position detection system, eliminating the need for dedicated position detection hardware in the vehicle itself. The mobile terminal's GPS receiver detects position data, which is then transmitted to the vehicle's traveling control apparatus via communication devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the mobile terminal's existing position detection capability (GPS receiver) to serve the vehicle's position detection needs. Instead of adding dedicated detection equipment to the vehicle, the system utilizes the self-service position detection function already present in the occupant's mobile device, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
2Device complexity
If position detection functions are not installed in vehicles, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of automatic driving control deteriorates due to inability to detect and avoid other vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile terminal acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between vehicles without position detection functions and the automatic driving control system. By detecting position data through the mobile terminal and transmitting it to the vehicle, the system achieves reliable vehicle position awareness without requiring position detection hardware in the vehicle itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile terminal serves multiple functions: it acts as a position detection device, a communication device, and a data transmission device. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components in the vehicle, reducing device complexity while ensuring reliable position data acquisition for automatic driving control.
3Measurement precision
If position data from multiple mobile terminals is collected and processed, then measurement precision of vehicle position and size estimation is improved, but loss of information and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the position data from multiple mobile terminals and processes them individually to extract meaningful information. By analyzing position data from multiple terminals separately and then synthesizing the results, the system estimates vehicle position and size with high precision while managing data processing burden through systematic segmentation of the analysis process.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle traveling control apparatus includes a communicator and a processor. The communicator communicates with mobile terminals of occupants traveling in vehicles. The processor executes control using data received from the mobile terminals. The processor acquires position data received from the mobile terminals, generates, from the position data acquired, data indicating respective traveling speeds or respective changes in traveling speed, extracts mobile terminals assumed to be in the same vehicle based on a degree of correlation in terms of the traveling speeds or changes in traveling speed, estimates a size or a kind of the vehicle based on a difference between positions of the mobile terminals extracted, and controls traveling of the vehicles by estimating the position of the vehicle on the road based on the size or the kind of the vehicle estimated and the position data on the mobile terminals extracted.